Improvement in car-brakes and starters



UNITED SrATEs Patient OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. STARR, OF W'ASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF UOLUBTBIA ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH OF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN A. ROLLINGS .AN I) GE() RU E NV. TRIO Il'l, EACH OF SAME PLAGE, AND ONE-FOURTH OF HIS RIGHT TO llLLlAhl PENN CLARKE, O11 DAVENPORT, IOVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-BRAKES AND STARTERS.

Spccication forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,341, dated October 2l, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I,\N"1LLIAM M. STARR, ot' W'ashington, count)V ot' lashingtom District ot' Columbia, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in ltunningtlear for Gars, oi' which the lfollowing,I is a iull, clear, and exact deseription, reference being had to the accompany ing,l drawingl making,` part oi' this speeillcation.

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal. section. Fig. 2 is a side View of the wheels, showing,` the method oi' applyin,r the foot-latch or pawl; and Fig. 5 is a front View of the wheels.

The invention relates to that class ot' runnin L gear in which the power employed to propel the cars is applied to the peripheryv ot' the wheels in order to start the ca '5 and consists in certain new features of construction and arrangement ol' parts, as will be i'ull5r explained.

ln the drawing, W' are the wheels, each ol' which is provided on its inner l'aee with a ratcheted ring, 1t, either cast in one piece with the wheel or rigidlyv attached thereto. U represents the pole or link by which the drai't is applied. A is the draw-bar; in the drawing it is shown run ning the entire length of the car, and arranged at one side directly above the wheels, but in practiee I prefer to locate it in the center ol the car and connect it with a frame cach side ot' which shall correspond with the bar A, now shown, in such manner that thev shall both move together when actuated by means and lor a purpose which I will now describe. E is a hand-wheel keyed to the upper en d of a shaft, Gr, mounted inthe iraniework ofthe car. F is a drum on shat't G. 13 is a chain wound once around drum F, and secured to the bar or frame A at S and T. Thus it will be seen that by turningI wheel E the bar A ma y be. moved either backward or forward. (l C are pawls attached to bar or frame A, their tree ends engaging with ratchet-ring 1t, as at Il, Fig. l. l) D are chains or Cords connectinft;` the l'ree ends of the pawls with the bar A. a is a brakelever piv oted to the frame-work at Il, and operating` trictionshoes J J by means ot' links or arms a a. M is a spiral spring,` surrouiuling,l bar A. l,1 `ig. 2, is a paw] pivoted at O. The lower end, N, of this pawl engages with the ratchet-ring, lt on one ofthe wheels when thrown into action by the drivers foot, as atQ. The devices are in the position which they would ordinarily occupyv when the car had been brought to a stand in goingI up a hill, the car being held from runningbackward by the piroted pawl l. Il", now, the horses be started and bar or traine A be drawn ihrward. the pull will be exerted upon the peripheries oiA the wheels at the upper side, and the car can be started much more easily than it' the power were exerted upon the axles or bearings, as will be readily seen without further explanation. As the bar is moving;- t'orward the spring or butler M comes in contact with a suitable stop on the trame-work, thus lessening' the shock or concussion (and consequent strain) which would otherwise be i'elt when the pawls cease to act upon the wheels. Al'ter the car is under motion it will be generaltv I'ound advisable to move ille bar A backward tar enough to lift pawls C i'rom the ratelnet-wheels, and thus aroid the clicking which would otherwise be caused by the wheels running past said pawls. This can be easily accomplished by means ot the lnuul-wheel E, operating drum li and chain Il; and it will be readilyY seen that it' the bar be moved back lfar enough to cause stop li on said bar to engage with the bralw-lerer a, the brake can be operated at the will of the driver i'or stopping,l the car. Instead ot' the single pawl l, located at the front ot" the car, two magv be employed, attached to a rock-shalt; and, when preferred, they mabr be arranged behind the wheels, and operated by a suitable lever and link under the coutrolot' the driver.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. ln combina tion with the ratcheted canwheels, har A, pa wl C, and pawl l, operated by the dri ver, substanti-all)V as set i'orth.

2. The combination oi'the ratcheted car-wheels, barA, pawls C, hand-wheel E, shalt (l, drum Il, and chain B, substantially as set forth.

I5. The combination ol' the rateheted wheels, the bar or trame A, pawls (l, hand-wheel E, shaft (l, druln lf, chain B, and the brakes n a. a.

4. The combination ofthe bar A, pawls (l, hand wheel E, shalt G, drum F, chain B, and chains D, substantially as sct forth.

WYILLIAM M. STARE. Witnesses:

J Anus F. FmzPATRIcK. EDM. F. BROWN. (122 

